Fay Chaffee announced May 4 her candidacy for County Council, Friday Harbor.

The council position is currently held by Howie Rosenfeld, who is seeking reelection. The term is four years. Council members are paid $34,000 a year and receive county health benefits.

The primary election is Aug. 19. The general election is Nov. 4.

Chaffee moved to Friday Harbor from Colorado in 1991 and has spent the past 10 years at the county Department of Community Development and Planning. She has been a permit coordinator for eight years.

Chaffee is the mother of two grown sons. She is originally from Portland, Ore., and has lived and worked in California, Colorado and Hawaii. She has owned a secretarial service, opened the first cookie store in Aspen, Colo., and had a challenging career in Hawaii working as assistant to a hotel developer there.

With the growth issues facing Friday Harbor and San Juan County, Chaffee believes that her experiences place her in a unique position to help resolve these issues. She said she plans on talking and listening to residents of Friday Harbor and San Juan County, and is looking forward to addressing their concerns as a council member.

Chaffee said she plans to help steer San Juan County’s inevitable growth in positive ways, emphasizing open and honest government, and focusing on issues that affect the residents of Friday Harbor and San Juan County.